Uttar Pradesh Cops Halt Prayers In Church After A Group Set Up By Yogi Adityanath Alleges Conversion

The pastor denied the charges.

Adnan Abidi / ReutersWomen speak as they stand outside a church in Uttar Pradesh.

On Friday, Uttar Police halted a prayer in a church that was being attended by more than 150 people, including 11 American tourists. According to reports, the cops stopped the prayer after Hindu Yuva Vahini complained that the event was a cover for religious conversion.

The incident happened in a church at Dathauli of Maharajganj district. The police went there to investigate allegations of forced conversion.

Hindu Yuva Vahini, the right-wing youth group had filed a complaint against Yohannan Adam, the pastor of the church. The group was set up by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in 2002.

A Hindu Yuva Vahini leader said that the presence of US nationals indicated that "innocent and illiterate" Hindus were being converted by the missionaries.

The pastor denied the charges.

"No prior permission was taken before the meeting. We stopped the meet after a complaint was registered. A probe is underway and appropriate action will be taken if the charges are correct," a police officer was quoted by Hindustan Times.

However, according to CNN-New18, police found no truth in the allegations. The Americans were allowed to leave after verifying their documents.